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Launches: SpaceX had a busy day yesterday, with Starship engine tests and a Starlink deployment

Launches blog for August 10: SpaceX performed Starship engine tests at their Starbase in Texas and launched a new batch of Starlinks from Florida yesterday.

Antarctic sea ice for July 2022 lowest on record

Antarctic sea ice for July 2022 was lowest in the 44-year satellite record. Arctic sea ice extent for July 2022 was 12th-lowest on record.

Circular panorama with stars, bright moon, and one meteor streak.

Meteors in moonlight: 6 tips for 2022’s Perseids

Meteors in moonlight. It's not optimal, but it happens! Here's how to minimize the moon and optimize the Perseid meteor shower in 2022.

August 10, 2022 Alan Dyer captured STEVE Phenomena.

Sun activity: Hello again, STEVE

Sun activity is currently low. But Monday’s surprise geomagnetic storm brought us many sightings of STEVE. See a video here.

ald man with white beard standing next to a large telescope.

Don Machholz, 1952-2022

We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Don Machholz, discoverer of 12 comets. He was also a writer for EarthSky ... and our friend.

Star chart with moon on 2 days and Saturn on the left.

See the moon approach Saturn on August 9 and 10

Watch a bright waxing gibbous moon approach Saturn on the evenings of August 9 and 10, 2022. Saturn is then in the faint constellation Capricornus.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket after launch. Image via Interesting Engineering/ SpaceX/ Twitter.

SpaceX Starlink launches for August

SpaceX has seven Starlink launches scheduled for the month of August 2022. Watch the second one taking place at 21:40 UTC on August 12, 2022.

Venus, Castor and Pollux line up on August 10

On the morning of August 10, 2022, notice our brightest planet, Venus, forming a line with the two bright Gemini stars, Castor and Pollux.

See Mars and Pleiades on August 10, morning

On the morning of August 10, 2022, look for Mars in the sunrise direction near the beautiful Pleiades star cluster. Nearby is reddish Aldebaran.

August birthstone: peridot or sardonyx

The August birthstone can be green, crystalline peridot or colorful, banded sardonyx. Both have long histories. Take your pick, August babies!

Can meteors make a sound? Scientists say yes

Is it possible to hear a meteor? Some people report hearing meteors make a sizzling sound. Scientists explain how you can hear a meteor.

Mars Sample Return: 5 different robots including rover, lander, rocket, orbiter and helicopter on and above reddish terrain.

Mars Sample Return mission steps forward

The Mars Sample Return mission is changing a bit, including the addition of 2 new Mars helicopters. It will bring the 1st-ever Mars samples to Earth in 2033.

UFOs: Side by side images of deep sky, one with red oval one without.

UFOs – Ultra-red Flattened Objects – revealed by Webb

Astronomers analyzing new Webb images have found UFOs, or Ultra-red Flattened Objects. These UFOs are disk galaxies that only become visible in infrared light.

White dots of different sizes for Saturn and constellation Capricornus with green line showing ecliptic.

Saturn’s 2022 opposition: 4 fun things to see

In August - the month of Saturn's 2022 opposition - here are 4 fun and easy things you can watch for with the eye alone. No telescope needed!

Star chart showing two gibbous moons along ecliptic with red dot between.

Moon near fiery Antares August 6 and 7

Watch for the moon near fiery Antares on the evenings of August 6 and 7, 2022, floating near the summer Milky Way. They'll be a stirring sight!

Black and white woodcut of frogs falling from sky on a town among hills.

Raining fish and frogs … for real

Click here to read many recent, documented accounts of raining fish and frogs. Yes, it's a real thing! Discover the causes here.

Lilac-colored flower with bee, covered with yellow dots, on long single stamen.

Do bees die after they sting you?

Do bees die after they sting you? Only the honeybee dies after stinging you, and only female bees have stingers. The female honeybee dies protecting its home.

Diagram of Earth with arrows pointing to it from sun, moon, and meteor shower direction.

Perseid meteor shower: All you need to know in 2022

The 2022 Perseid meteor shower has already begun, and this weekend is a good time to watch!

M81 and M82: A spiral galaxy and cigar-shaped galaxy with blue tendrils interacting.

M81 and M82 as you’ve never seen them

Get a fresh look at galaxies M81 and M82 in Ursa Major. These incredible images combine hours of exposures and processing for a look at fine structures.

Robots to robot: ‘Happy birthday, Curiosity!’

Robots to robot: Happy birthday! Today over 100,000 robotic lawn mowers will "sing" Happy Birthday to the Curiosity rover on Mars. You can participate!

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Launches: SpaceX had a busy day yesterday, with Starship engine tests and a Starlink deployment

Antarctic sea ice for July 2022 lowest on record

Meteors in moonlight: 6 tips for 2022’s Perseids

Sun activity: Hello again, STEVE

Don Machholz, 1952-2022

See the moon approach Saturn on August 9 and 10

SpaceX Starlink launches for August

Venus, Castor and Pollux line up on August 10

See Mars and Pleiades on August 10, morning

August birthstone: peridot or sardonyx

Can meteors make a sound? Scientists say yes

Mars Sample Return mission steps forward

UFOs – Ultra-red Flattened Objects – revealed by Webb

Saturn’s 2022 opposition: 4 fun things to see

Moon near fiery Antares August 6 and 7

Raining fish and frogs … for real

Do bees die after they sting you?

Perseid meteor shower: All you need to know in 2022

M81 and M82 as you’ve never seen them

Robots to robot: ‘Happy birthday, Curiosity!’